Sergei Sviatchenko: "My creativity is what I want to share with people."
2018
The Ukrainian-Danish artist Sergei Sviatchenko is an internationally recognized person. His works were repeatedly exhibited at personal and collective exhibitions in numerous European countries, as well as in the USA and Canada. In the 1980s, he was the organizer and curator of the first contemporary art exhibitions in Ukraine. In 1990, he moved to Denmark. Since he has lived and worked in Viborg.
Within the preparation for the future joint art projects with Sergei Sviatchenko, in early April 2018, the Brovdi Art Foundation team visited Viborg and Copenhagen, as well the artist's studio, his exhibition, and also got a unique opportunity to deeply communicate to the most famous contemporary collage artist. The result of this trip will be a series of interviews and publications about Sergei Sviatchenko which will be presented to the Ukrainian audience.
The first material from this series is devoted to the exhibition of art showcases by Sergei Sviatchenko, performed within the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the largest supermarket of Denmark Magasin Du Nord in Copenhagen. About the preparation, as well as about the complexities and successful implementation of this project, the artist told in an exclusive interview to Art & Culture Foundation Brovdi Art.
Sergei Sviatchenko during the presentation of the exhibition in Magasin Du Nord
– Tell us please, what did the co-operation with such a legendary brand in Denmark start with?
– I got a call from a well-known advertising firm "Barkas" from Copenhagen and offered to participate in the project within the celebratuin of the 150th anniversary of Magasin Du Nord. In Denmark, of course, everybody knows that Magasin Du Nord is the largest universal store that has branches in different cities. For me, it was a very interesting proposal, and, of course, I agreed at once.
Magasin Du Nord
– What was important to you as an artist in this project?
–Since all my creativity is targeted to something I’d like to give to people, to show something, for me it was very exciting and, prestigious to create such a project. Every day thousands of people pass by Magasin Du Nord, since it is located in the heart of Copenhagen, there still cannot be anything closer to the city centre, and I think that I have not yet had the opportunity to show more of my creativity and my works.
Art showcases of Sergei Sviatchenko in Magasin Du Nord
– Did the clients have specific requirements, how exactly should the decoration of the showcases look like in style or colour scheme?
– I’d like to note that the first meetings with the organizers were held at a very pleasant, benevolent level. I listened to what they wanted from me as an artist. Of course, they tried to direct me towards some advertising moments, but to deal with art and attract advertising is very difficult. The organizers understood what creativity and who they were dealing with, they initially liked what I was doing, the language of my collages and, naturally, they were open with me from the very beginning, which gave a tremendous impulse to the entire process. That is, they gave full freedom of action, and they had no corrections.
Sergei Sviatchenko
– How did you manage not to cross that line, within which you kept the recognition of works and stylistics, and did not use the direct advertising?
– It was a really important task – not just to do our work, but to connect it with the vision and philosophy of Magasin Du Nord, so that I could present myself with my creativity, so bright and understandable, and, of course, there should have been a reflection taken from history shopping centre. For Magasin Du Nord, collections were made by such eminent designers as Dior and Balmain – huge figures in fashion. That's why it was so important for the organizers to keep the line - for the presentation to be realized by a person interested in style, by means of his creativity. It was also important to connect some things from the history of Magasin Du Nord. Gradually, I began to "enter" into this topic, which took, of course, a certain time – the preparation of the project took about six months.
Formation of exposition
– Six months of preparation, but where, in fact, did you search for the material and inspiration for the realization of the idea?
– I was given the opportunity to work in the archive, as well as in the museum of the shopping centre, where I received a huge, most interesting satisfaction, viewing an incredible number of books and albums. I studied certain places in Magasin Du Nord, in particular, the old part of the building, because the building was eventually built. One day I was happy to see a rather large number of black and white portraits in the corner. It turned out that Magasin Du Nord photographed the most well-proven employees throughout the year for a long time. They made portraits, edged them and exhibited them for a long time. The last of the works are dated the 70s. I photographed all these portraits, and they were, I think, 33. I also photographed a lot of the building elements with my understanding of the structure and architecture of this building, as well as archival documents.
A series of collages "The Faces"
– Throughout the time of studying materials and information, when did your "Eureka!" sound?
– Once, when I was at home, some impulses suddenly came to me, and I began to work very quickly with these portraits, laying on them the building elements. Soon I had a connection of fragments of architecture Magasin Du Nord and portraits from the archive. And I called this whole series "The Faces". I was just to combine everyting. I thought: it would be interesting to involve the viewer in this process, so that he did not just pass by the windows, but somehow stopped and became interested. And how to do it? It's very simple: on the external windows show large prints from a series of my collages "Less", created exclusively from two or three elements on a bright colour background. To cut the holes in the windows, and inside, in the boxes, to place black and white archival part of the collages "The Faces". And the idea that I had in mind, was fully realized and acquired the 3D-animation effect.
I am very happy and pleased with such a collaboration!
Text: Oleksandr Nikitchuk
Photo: Oleg Oparanyuk
© Brovdi Art Foundation
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